Very kind comments received from NWAS regards our involvement in Incident 79, Sunday 7th July 2013

Today our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE received an email from Olivia Brown, Senior Paramedic, Bolton Group, West Sector (Greater Manchester Area) regards the Bolton MRTs part in the tragic incident of the early hours of Sunday morning 7th July 2013, when a man tragically lost his life following a fall at Yarnsdale Delf Quarry, Cadshaw.

Extracts from the email are copied below;

“A member of my team, has asked me to contact you to pass on her and her colleagues thanks and appreciation following an incident that Bolton Mountain Rescue attended on the 7th July 2013.

The incident took place near Entwistle Reservoir. A gentleman had fallen from a cliff onto rocks and undergrowth whilst camping. The ambulance crew initially attended with the Police but struggled with egress and access, vehicular access, transport of equipment and lighting the scene. The Police helicopter was unable to land due to the amount of trees in close proximity to the incident.

The following is from an email I received from one of the Paramedics at the incident:

“Bolton Mountain Rescue turned out from Ladybridge and they were amazing. As soon as they arrived the scene was floodlit, there were as many hands as we needed and they packaged the patient for us while we worked on him. They organised a huge chain of people to pass our boarded patient along in order to get him to where their vehicle was parked, then took the patient and ourselves up to the main road, taking turns to help me treat him in the back of a land rover on a dirt track. One of them in particular, Mike O’Brien, stayed with us in the ambulance to Blackburn A+E assisting with the on going treatment.

Unfortunately the patient was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Blackburn A+E. However both ourselves and the Police agree that the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team deserve some recognition for what they did. They had turned out of bed, many of them after a day in work. I didn’t realise until after the job that they are a voluntary service – they are so professional and couldn’t do enough.”

“On behalf of my colleague, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the Ambulance Service. Your assistance and expertise at these types of incidents is invaluable to the crews and speaking from experience, it is always a relief to know that you are on your way!! Be it to be towed out of the snow or to assist with traumatic jobs as the one detailed above.”

“Please pass on our thanks to all of the team and particularly to those who were available to attend on the evening of the 7th July. Kind regards, Olivia.”

We would like to stress that this tragic incident involved members of NWAS, Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, all working in close liaison during a very sad incident.

Please also see website ‘News’ report, Incident 79 and Incident 81, both dated Sunday 7th July 2013.